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Guidance Counselor

Department of the Army
United States Army Installation Management Command
Directorate of Human Resources

Summary

About the Position: Serve as a professional Education Counselor in the Army Continuing Education System (ACES) Program providing the full range of general education and career development counseling, for Directorate of Human Resources, Fort Bliss Texas

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/12/2026 to 03/16/2026
Salary
$61,722 to - $80,243 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fort Bliss, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
MCFU-26-12908389-MP
Control number
860804600

Duties

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  • Provide educational program information to military and civilian personnel.
  • Schedule aptitude testing for military members seeking higher educational goals.
  • Advise military members on technical MOS related educational opportunities.
  • Examine educational transcripts to evaluate credit recommendations.
  • Conduct educational briefings to promote Army Continuing Education System (ACES) programs and services, local academic and self-developmental programs.
  • Assist personnel with applications for scholarships, educational allowances and grants.
  • Provide academic counseling to individuals pursuing undergraduate/graduate, vocational, technical and professional development opportunities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • A National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) Background Investigation is required.
  • Travel up to 5% may be required.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.


  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998



In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.


Basic Requirement for Guidance Counselors:

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours appropriate to the position to be filled in one or a combination of the following areas, with at least one course from (1) or (2). (1)Tests and measurement: Study of the selection, evaluation, administration, scoring, interpretation, and uses of group and individual aptitude, proficiency, interest, and other tests; (2) Adult education: Study of the adult as a learner, teaching-learning theories for adults, models and procedures for planning, designing, managing, and evaluating adult learning activities; (3) Educational program administration: Study of the foundation and methods in organizing for adult and continuing education programs; (4) Curriculum development or design: Study of the principles and techniques for development of curricula for adult or vocational education programs; (5) Teaching methods: Study of teaching strategies and learning styles of the adult learner; (6) Guidance and counseling: Study of the purposes and methods in counseling and guidance, the role of the counselor in various settings, approaches to counseling, and the uses of tests in the counseling situation; (7) Career planning: Study of career development, learning activities, systems, approaches, program coordination, use of educational and community resources, and vocational counseling systems; OR (8) Occupational information: Study of theories of occupational choice and vocational development and their application to the guidance process. Identification and utilization of various types of occupational information and resources.

For guidance counselor positions, a college or university-sponsored practicum in counseling is also required.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Conducting educational briefings for groups to inform them of education programs available. 2) Utilizing various platforms to market education programs. 3) Counseling personnel to help develop educational requirements essential to career advancement.. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Education, Psychology, or Counseling.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.



You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Education Management
  • Guidance Counseling
  • Oral Communication


Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-07).

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) Education Services Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest.
  • Recruitment and relocation incentives may be authorized.
  • Student loan repayment may be authorized.
  • Salary negotiations for those candidates who are new to Federal service may be authorized.
  • Credit for Prior Non-Federal Work Experience and Certain Military Service for Determining Annual Leave Accrual Rate may be authorized.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

As part of the assessment process, your resume will be evaluated using a competency-based method. This structured evaluation measures your qualifications, experience, and skills against the core competencies required for the position. Final scores will determine whether you are referred to the Hiring Manager for further consideration.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

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